US Shuts Down Mexico Narco ‘Super Tunnel’

A drug smuggling “super tunnel” linking Mexico and the United States, shut down on Wednesday, was one of the most sophisticated ever discovered, revealing the increasingly advanced use of technology by Mexican cartels.

More than 500 meters long, and linking Tijuana with the Californian city of San Diego, the tunnel was equipped with a railway line, electricity and ventilation, reported the BBC.

It had taken about a year to build, but was shut down before it went into operation, following three weeks of surveillance, reported the New York Times. Eight tons of marijuana and 325 pounds of cocaine — valued at nearly $12 million — were seized, and three people were arrested as part of the operation, reported ICE.

San Diego Special Agent William Sherman blamed “desperation” for the fact cartels were using different types of technology to move cocaine, but innovation would be a more accurate word. The big criminal organizations have the money and man power to invest in researching and creating ever more advanced drug smuggling methods, reflected in the use of ultra-light aircraft and increasingly sophisticated narco-submarines.

Tunnels have been used not just to transport drugs but also to funnel illegal migrants, arms and contraband into the United States.

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